Annual Technical Report 2002 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by Georgia (SCIT/ATR/TM/2002/GE)
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I. Evolution of registration activities
2,647 applications were filed in 2002, of which 2,130 – under the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, 517 – under the national procedure, that is 32.7% less than in 2001. From this number the local applications amount to 202, that is 7.7% less compared to 2001.
During the reported period 650 trademarks were registered, that is 19.1% more than in 2001. 2,416 international trademarks were granted protection in Georgia.
Experimental work was carried out for performing the tasks of the receiving department by means of a new system of database management - ORACLE.
The internal database of “Sakpatenti” is already prepared for providing the possibility of electronic filing of national applications. However, the legislative basis for receiving applications in electronic format is not available so far.
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes
All the documentation to be published is forwarded through the local area network of “Sakpatenti” to the publication department, where they are formatted, after which they are transferred to the printing department. They are simultaneously published on the website.
Last year the publication of the Official Bulletin on the website began. The trilingual version of the bulletin - in English, Russian and Georgian, is available on the English version of the website, whereas the version published only in Georgian is put on the Georgian version of the website.
The publication of bulletins on the website made it possible to announce promptly to the public the information published by “Sakpatenti” according to established procedures in official bulletins.
All the bulletins are published on the website in MS Word format.
The Official Bulletin contains bibliographic data and images of the registered marks arranged in numerical order. The images are printed in colours upon necessity. The Bulletin contains the following bibliographic data:
- the filing date of the application;
- the filing number;
- the serial number;
- data of the applicant (name and address);
- the reproduction of the mark;
- the list of goods and services, arranged according to classes of the International Classification (Nice classification);
- the classes of figurative elements (Vienna Classification);
- the country code;
- priority date and number;
- patent attorney.
All bibliographic data are provided with INID Codes (ST.60).
The Bulletin contains a numerical index.
The trilingual version of bulletins is published also on CD-ROMs, copies of which are sent to various offices.
Different technical means are used for the preparation and publication of trademark information. Powerful Photocopying devices “XEROX” and printing apparatus “RHYSOGRAPH” are used to ensure publication on paper.
Materials to be published are first keyed-in and processed by MS Word software, after which they are converted and formatted by Pagemaker and Acrobat Distiller softwares.
Bibliographic data are prepared on examiners’ workstations, which are transferred via the local area network to the automation and publication departments.
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information
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The office is equipped with a library. A computer which is available in the library is used to carry out searches by means of various carriers. Some of the collections are placed in a Juke-Box and they are accessible by the local area network.
It is also possible from the library to access external databases. For this purpose, from the library computer commercial databases, such as Questel Orbit, Micropat, Mednet and Madrid Express, can be accessed. By means of reference and encyclopaedic literature kept in the library, various journals and bulletins, also computer databases, it is possible to carry out various types of searches in international collections.
V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems
This year the development of the internal database structure and program project interface has begun. Provision of software of the system was finalized. The automated system will be based on the database management system ORACLE Database Server, and ORACLE Jdeveloper, based on Java technology will be used to develop user packages.
At present the automated system is based on the database management system Paradox 4.5, and it functions in client-server mode. Three main servers are connected to the system:
- Primary domain Controller;
- File Server Paradox nt;
- Server for connection to external networks, which operates by WIN route 1.2.4.14 Software as Proxy.
Packages of information exchange and graphic information processing are being worked out. The textual part of trademark documentation is presented in MS Word format.
We hope that the new upgraded system will be even more flexible to ensure the full automated procedural cycle from filing an application up to the issue of the necessary protective document. The new system will allow for the collection of all kinds of statistical information with relevant graphic design, etc. The implementation of the latter is planned by the use of relevant application programs, which are not at the disposal of the office yet.
A powerful local area network functions for the automated system of the office, including 102 workstations, with the speed of 100MB/sec. It is based on 12-port switch.
Network operating system WIN NT 4.0 is installed on the servers of the local area network.
Work is under way to provide an on-line thesaurus, which will be easy to run in the new automated system.
VI. Administration of trademark services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
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“Sakpatenti” has relevant technical equipment for educational activities. In the training room there is a computer, together with a projection device and a projector for reading slides, and so on. Numerous seminars for “Sakpatenti” employees and international seminars have been organized successfully.
“Sakpatenti” is ready to obtain access to the international network WIPONET, although it is not yet equipped with the local network Firewall, which will satisfy completely the security requirements of the WIPONET.
IX. Other relevant matters